A Needle Threaded
by Jei-El
Summary: A young Romulan gets left a puzzle by her late Father. A secret the High Command doesn't want the Federation to learn.
1. Chapter 1

2367 Personal Diary Entry of Isha R'Mor

The pain of my Father's death is still fresh but he knew my love of mystery's and he appears to have left me with an immense long term puzzle.

Today, I finally brought myself begin inventorying Father's private sturdy. In attempt to ease into the emotions involved I mistakenly started with the artifacts that Father had collected and leave the papers to later.

When I arrived at a statue that I had often caught Father staring at when I came to see him in his study I found a small compartment within. Inside were two items: A data archive and a Iso-linear message rod.

Aggravatingly my curiosity quickly led to intrigue and frustration. The archive was heavily encrypted and all but one of the files on the rod were time-locked to a Stardate almost seven years from now.

The only accessible file was a letter from Dad telling me that the data on the archive was precious and highly contraband. In fact I was told to keep it safe and pretend that it doesn't exist. Honestly, I should probably delete this whole entry.

Computer encrypt entry and save to last accessed Data Rod.

Pulling the rod out of her terminal slid it back in the statue and resealed the compartment.

"One last puzzle for me Father? What did you get yourself involved in?" Isha whispered reverently to the room that most reflected her Father's personality and looking around. "Enough for today." Standing from her Father's desk Isha picks up the statue holding it tightly and leaves. "Lights off and seal door with voice print Isha R'Mor.


	2. Chapter 2

7 Years later

Three hours before she should be awake Isha finds herself still sitting staring at 'That Statue' as she thought of it. Sitting in her dark dorm-room it is the middle of the night, closer to the next day than the previous one and Old Earth calendar just rolled over to a new year: 2374.

Part of Isha thinks she is being paranoid as she boots up a brand new un-networked computer. But she suspected that what she was about to do needed to be off of the closely monitored school network. Opening the statue for the second time and withdrawing the message rod she inserted it.

Accessing Data Rod

Date check initiated...Date parameters met

Decrypting Files...Done

Accessible File list

Note to Isha  
Relevant logs  
Archive decryption key  
Letter to Isha  
Isha Diary Entry (Encrypted)

"Computer display: Letter to Isha."

Isha gasped as the screen filled not with text but the but her Father's face.

"Dearest Daughter I regret that you are hearing this message because it means that you have lost not one but both of your parents at far younger age than any child should. Know that I am and always will be proud of you. One of the few things in my life I regret was not being there to see you born and missing your first years of life.

I wonder what you make of this puzzle I left you.

Shortly after your birth I freely made a promise to deliver the contents of the archive when the time was right. Sadly, the Senate and my superiors saw those I made the promise to as the enemy... Honestly, so did I at first when they contacted me. They did not ask anything of me but to deliver a message. A message that in being delayed would remove any threat to the Empire and our secrets. I understood the emotions behind what amounted to a plea in the dark. So I promised I would do my best to insure the message got to the Federation

Sadly, I am dead and only now can the message safely be delivered. I was willing to shoulder the risk. Defy my orders. But as much as I was willing to risk for myself I charge you my Daughter to not take unnecessary risk.

Read the logs I have included. If you can examine the contents of the archive. Choose wisely Isha and know that you were loved.


	3. Chapter 3

2374 Federation Embassy Romulus

Standing across the street from the impressive building Isha was vibrating. She had turned around to catch a transport back to school no less than three times on her way here and even now she was at a loss as to how to get the precious data she held once more concealed in 'That Statue' in the right hands.

Her Father's desire to reveal the information inside had nearly scuttled his career. Only the need to protect and provide for his family had silenced him.

But in those days Romulan/Federation relations had been far worse. Now there was a full Embassy and the Ambassador was none other than Spoke a hero of the Federation and a proponent of Reunification.

Maybe she could pull this off without being convicted of revealing secrets to the enemy. But either way she would never be able to look herself in the mirror if she didn't try.

She could almost hear her Father's admonition at her procrastination. "Stalling never makes things easier."

Striding in and getting in line to speak with the nice Starfleet officer and getting a few questioning glances from security.

Three people in front of her.  
Two people in front of her.  
One person in front of her.

"Good morning how can I help you-" Started the Bolean officer when a rude young man ran up and pushed her out of the way.

"I demand to speak with the Ambassador right now." The young human was scared and out of breath.

"The Ambassador is currently giving a lecture the S'Task Tactical Institute..." At that point Isha did an about face and started making her way to the transport hub as quickly as she could without attracting unwanted attention. After all the effort she had gone through to get here the Ambassador was away giving a lecture. To make matters truly ironic the lecture was at her school. Hopefully there would be a question and answer section afterward and if she got there in time she could possibly figure out how to get a private meeting.


	4. Chapter 4

S'Task Tactical Institute, Romulus

"Comparing the records about S'Task and Surak and their conflict that led to the division of our two peoples recorded by both sides gives..." A loud bang from the rear of the auditorium drew his attention to a young Romulan female student. He continued his speech with only a slight pause but part of his attention was held by the young woman as she found one of the few empty seats in the rear of stands. As he watched her in his peripheral vision she was trying to stare a hole in the side of his head as if trying to force him to notice her. He hoped that this was not the start of another stalking situation. The intriguing part was that she held in her lap not a pad or recording device but some sort of statue of what he could not make out in the shadows.

As Spock finished his lecture and answered some questions the young woman started to raise her hand to ask or say something several times only to yank it back down and glance around. After he called an end to the questions the crowd dispersed for the most part. Now the girl was standing just outside of the respectful distance for a respected or feared dignitary. Unlike all the others that were still in the hall she was not calm and dignified. She was bouncing with nervous energy like his friend Chekov had when he had been young and excited about something he wanted to share. This was very unusual behavior for a Romulan of her age.

Turning to face her he nodded to acknowledge her. Her face lit up in a smile as she hurried over.

"Jolan tru, Ambassador Spock." The young woman greeted excitedly.

"Jolan tru...?" Spock returned letting his pause drag out as he raised an eyebrow in question.

The young girl's brow furrowed and the she blushed green. "I apologize. My name is Isha R'Mor and I am a student at the Institute."

"Live long and prosper, Isha R'Mor." Spock said raising his hand in the Ta'al. What is it that has you so excitedly out of sorts?"

"I am excited to get a chance to fulfill a promise that my Father made 20 years ago." Isha stated seriously.

Spock did not think that he had misread the situation and that the girl was a threat but 20 years before relations between the Romulans and the Federation had been far from friendly. "And how does this promise relate to me?"

"It does not." Isha said looking around at the others that remained in the hall and Spock's guards who were nervously watching the interactions between them. "I just know that you can be trusted to see the information my Father promised to deliver gets to its destination."

Curiosity had always been one of the driving forces in Spock's life and this girl had certainly caught his attention. "Walk with me?" Spock asked gesturing to the door.

"Of course." Isha said falling carefully instep with him mindful not to get ahead of him but also not to fall out of his peripheral vision so as not to seem threatening as an unknown this was complicated by the fact of his longer legs.

Nearby was the hotel he was staying at while he was giving a series of lectures at the Institute. As his guards closed the door behind them Spock gestured for Isha to sit on one of the couches. When Isha opened her mouth to start explaining Spock gestured for silence.

"All clear this time." Announced one of the guards.

"Good. Do you wish them to leave before we continue our discussion?" Spock asked even though he doubt his security team would grant him that much leeway he wondered.

"Not if you really trust them and their discretion." Isha answered fast enough to be uncontrived. "My Father was a scientist named Telek R'Mor and 20 years ago he received a message from a Federation Starship lost in the Delta quadrant." Spock's eyebrows flew up at the impossible statement, but Isha pressed on before he could comment. "The message came through a wormhole with a temporal component. The ship and the message I carry came from the future and Father died before it could be delivered."

Spock's other eyebrow joined the first but he didn't try to interrupt.

"The USS Voyager that disappeared in the badlands and the Maquis ship they were pursuing were not destroyed. Most of their crews survived being thrown into the Delta Quadrant. They are making there way home together on board Voyager even with a daunting 70,000 light years long journey ahead of them." Isha continued. "I am sorry that I can not give you the personal messages that were confiscated. I can say this. They wanted their families to know that they loved them and that they refused to believe that they would fail to make it home."

Opening the compartment in the bottom of 'That Statue' Isha handed Spock the two data rods. "One of these has the logs of the incident the other contains a copy of my Father's letter to me on the subject."

"Thank you, Isha R'Mor." Spock said taking the precious, if genuine, data rods from her. "These will have to be tested but I believe you. When the results come in I will insure that the families know that there is hope."

"Then my Father can rest now with his honor intact." Standing Isha raised her hand in a shaky Ta'al. "Live long and prosper, Ambassador." Then she turned and left now calm and dignified happy at a job well done.


End file.
